Jefferson’s has never been shy about stepping beyond the norm, aging Bourbon on ships, finishing bourbon in wine casks, etc. Chef’s Collaboration is no exception. This was taken off their web site, jeffersonsbourbon.com.
“The Chef’s Collaboration developed after a late night spent tasting some of chef Edward Lee’s culinary creations led Trey to the idea that someone should blend a bourbon that would pair well with the bold flavors in chef Lee’s cookbook and other modern cuisine. Without hesitation, Trey and Ed set forth.”
That would be Trey Zoeller from Jefferson’s. The thinking, I believe, was to make a Bourbon that pairs well with food, much like wine.
JCC goes for around $40 or so, comes in the same shaped corked bottle that all of Jefferson’s come in and is 92 proof. It is a blend of their regular Bourbon and some Rye. When it first came out it was a little hard to find, now most stores have a bottle.
NOSE
Ron: Big nose! I got pepper, oak, and leather right off the bat. Then some caramel and a slight medicine odor.
Todd: Wow, the only thing we have in common is the spice/pepper smell. I got an aroma of cherries along with a strange smell of stone. Other than that I didn’t get much.
Ron: Stone? Do you eat many rocks?
Todd: We are talking about the nose, not taste. Having said that, more like wet stone.
TASTE
Ron: Tasted most of what I smelled, sweet caramel, oak and that little bit of medicine. Also got vanilla, and some plum. A little hot, needs water or ice to calm it down a bit.
Todd: I agree that it needs water/ice to bring down the heat. While I didn’t get a lot of flavors, I liked the ones I did taste. Those include some spicy pepper notes along with some black fruit. I also tasted a little caramel.
FINISH
Ron: Medium to long finish, not real complex, didn’t really get any additional flavors.
Todd: Medium to long finish with a touch of mint.
OVERALL
Ron: Decently balanced, more complex without the water, but smooth and mellow with it.
Todd: Even though I didn’t get a lot on the nose or a lot of different tastes, I have always liked this bourbon.
Nose 4.25 out of 5
Taste 8.5 out of 10
Finish 3.75 out of 5
Total 16.5 Barrels out of 20
The score on JCC was a surprise to us both. We have long been a fan and were sure it would do better. It shows the difference between sitting on the porch enjoying something and actually sitting down to do a review. Sometimes you can like something a lot even though it is not real complex. Think vanilla ice cream.
Having said that, JCC is nice and smooth with a little ice, almost refreshing. We really enjoy sipping on Jefferson’s Chef Collaboration. We think you would as well.